Said Amirov, once the influential mayor of the Dagestani capital, Makhachkala, has been given 10 years in prison for trying to murder a local pension fund manager by shooting down his aircraft with a shoulder-launched missile.

Amirov was sentenced by the Military Court of the North Caucasus
district on Wednesday. Prosecutors sought a longer sentence for
the accused, but the defense pointed to his previous deeds on
behalf of the country (Amirov has several state decorations) and
his poor state of health – the ex-mayor had been heavily wounded
in an assassination attempt and traveled in a wheelchair,
prompting the nickname ‘Bloody Roosevelt’ from critical regional
reporters.

In the same session the court sentenced Amirov’s nephew and
former deputy mayor of the city of Kaspiysk, Yusup Djaparov, to
eight-and-a-half years.

The criminal case against seasoned regional politician commenced
in May 2013 – Amirov was suspected of organizing the murder of a
senior investigator from the Dagestan branch of Russia’s top
federal law enforcement body, the Investigative Committee.

On July 1, he was detained in a major police operation and
urgently flown to Moscow. A short time later investigators
started another probe against him. This time he was suspected of
masterminding a terrorist attack. According to federal agents,
Amirov, along with his nephew and several accomplices, planned to
shoot down a plane carrying the head of the Dagestan Pension
Fund, Sagid Murtazaliyev. The plan was thwarted when police
discovered and seized the conspirators’ weapon of choice: a
Russian-made Strela-2 shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile.

As the probe went on, investigators established the ex-mayor’s
complicity in several more high-profile murders and assaults.

The police had to reinforce the security in court during the
Wednesday session as Amirov’s numerous relatives and supporters
rallied outside the building. Even larger demonstrations took
place in Makhachkala after the 2013 arrest – due to the
ex-mayor’s popularity and immense influence.A veteran of regional
politics, Amirov was deputy prime minister of Dagestan between
1991 and 1998 and in 1998 won the first ever mayoral elections in
Makhachkala.

Russian mass media even speculated that Amirov’s arrest was
deliberately timed to coincide with a major football match held
in neighboring Chechnya – this way most of the Makhachkala
population were away from home and could not start any troubles.

However, despite certain popularity the ex-mayor had long been
the main target of opposition reporters who linked his name with
corruption, nepotism, attacks and murders.

Dagestani press have repeatedly suggested that Amirov was behind
the killings of local businessmen who refused to share profits,
as well as stubborn officials and politicians who opposed the
local mafia clans.

One of the most vivid examples was the death of Dagestani
Interior Minister Adilgirey Magomedtagirov in 2009. He publicly
announced that he had proof that one of Amirov’s sons personally
killed several young women. Shortly that statement Magomedtagirov
was killed by a sniper while walking out of a wedding reception.

It should also be noted that Amirov’s arrest took place soon
after Russian President dismissed Magomedsalam Magomedov from the
post of the Dagestan over the poor security situation in the
republic. Magomedov was replaced by Ramazan Abdulatipov – a man
with strong connections in the federal law enforcement and power
bodies.

The new head of the republic praised Amirov’s detention at the
time, promising that it would bring order and stability to the
region.

According to media reports, Amirov planned to compete with
Abdulatipov at the elections for head of the republic that will
take place in September this year. His conviction will apparently
put an end to that ambition.